Carbid-feeding device for acetylene-generators.



J. H.IBIRCH.

CARBID FEEDING DEVICE FOR ACETYLENE' GENERATORS. APPLICATION FILQED JAN-24,1912.

Patened June 13, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I J. H. BIRCH.

CARBID FEE DiNG DEVICE FOR ACETYLENE GENERATORS. APPLICATION FILED IAN.24, 1g|2.'

Patented June 13, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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orrica JAMES H. BIRCH, OF GENEVA, ILLINOIS.

CARBID-FEEDING- DEVICE FOR AGET'YLENE-GENERATORS.

weaves.

Application filed January 24, 1912.

To all whom 112? may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. BIRCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Geneva, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garbid-I eeding Devices for Acetylene-Generators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in carbid-feeding devices for acetylene generators.

The object of the invention is the provision, in an acetylene gas generator, of an exceedingly simple, eiiicient, durable, and safe construction, which will automatically operate to feed the carbid from a bulk magazine, gradually, and in small oft-repeated quantities, as the gas is consumed, as dis tinguished from feeding the same in large quantities at comparatively long intervals. By my improved carbid feed, all danger or liability of delivering an excessive quantity of carbid to the generator and the consequent irregular production of an unsafe degree of gas pressure is effectually avoided.

The invention also provides that in case the quantity of gas generated by any given feed of carbid is insuffici'ent to reverse the direction of movement of the bell, the feeding operation will be repeated, whereby the quantity of gas within the bell is uniformly maintained within narrow limits and an equable gas pressure throughout the system is insured.

The invention, as hereinafter particularly claimed, will be readily understood from the following detailed description thereof, having reference to the accompanying drawings wherein are shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of the same together with certain modifications.

In these drawings.Figure 1 shows the invention in side elevation, with certain parts broken away to show the interior construction; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of the invention; Fig. i is a detail perspective of the connection with the bell, shown in elevation in Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates the lower portion of a carbid magazine terminating below in a laterally inclined chute 2. Housing the mouth of the chute is a hood or casing 3 containing a vane wheel having radial vanes 4 with its hub fixed upon an axle 6 mounted Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 673,123.

in the casing walls and extending transversely of the flow of carbid in the chute.

The vane wheel is practically coextensive with the casing interior as to width and, as to height it rotates at a slight distance above the bottom of the casing. In the best embodiment of. the invention, the casing extends from the chute somewhat beyond. the vertical axis of the vane wheel.

The axle 6 is extended through one side of the casing and has fixed thereon the hub 7 of a ratchet wheel 8. Upon the outer end of the axle 6 is loosely pivoted an oscillatory lever 9 weighted at 10 and carrying a laterally extending arm 11 to which is pivoted a pawl 12 in operative engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 8. The upper terminus of the lever is provided with a laterally extending arm 13 supporting a trip l-i pivoted at 15. The outer end 16 of the trip extends beyond the end of the arm 13 and is supported in a horizontal position by the stop 17 while its possible upward swing is limited by the stop 18.

A rod 19, fixed to the gasometer bell (not shown.) in any suitable manner, has its lower portion bifurcated and the interspace bridged by rolls 20 and 20 arranged at intervals. The outer end 16 of the trip 1 1 projects within the interspace of the rod 19 beneath one of the rolls 20.

The operation of that form of the device thus far described is as follows: ,As the gas in the bell is gradually depleted, the rod 19 lowers and the lower roll impinges upon the end 16 of the trip 14 and carries the same downward, swinging the lever 9 on its pivot, thus elevating the weight 10 and carrying the pawl 12 to the rear along the ratchet. As the bell sinks the roll 20 slips off the end of the trip, permitting the lever 9 under the influence of the weight 10 to swing back to and by its momentum beyond the original position and then to oscillate to and fro. This oscillation of the lever is transmitted by the pawl 12 to the ratchet 8 and transformed into an intermittent step by step forward movement of the ratchet and vane wheel. As the vane wheel rotates, the vanes operate to wipe over the bottom of the chute mouth at a slight distance therefrom thus drawing the carbid out of the chute and discharging it into the generator in a slow trickling stream as distinguished from the separate individual charges of the usual overshot wheel feed. In the present Patented June 13, 1916.

exam le, the bottom of the casing'is sub-- with it the rod 19, the end 16 of the trip 14 yields upwardly allowing the roll 20 to'pass toa position above the trip ready for the neXt feed. In case for any reason the first feed of carbid doesnot generatesufiicient gas to reverse the bell and cause the same to rise, the next roll 20 will engage and operate the trip Hand thus cause a second series of oscillations of the lever 9 and a further rotation of the vane wheel to feed an additional quantity or carbid. By arrangmg the undershot vane wheel with its aXis transversely ofthe chute 2, the vanes serve in succession as gates to efiect a positive out- 0e for the carbid and thus preclude any possibility'of a run of the carbid as might result under some circumstances were the wheel arranged to rotate in aplane transversely of the chute. The hood or casing 3 serves to confine the carbid to a passage through the wheel and also to house and protect the wheel from the results of condensation.

V In Figs. 3 and 4: I have illustrated a modified form of mechanism for transmitting the movement of the bell to the feed wheel. In this embodiment of the invention, the arm 13 is omitted, and the upper end of the lever 9 is acted upon from behind by a roll 21 carried by an arcuate arm 22 pivoted for limited movement on the ofiset end 23 of the bell crank lever 2 carrying the weight 25.

This arm 22 has a segmental slot 26 in which plays a pin 27 V fixed in the member 23 whereby the arm is supported in its normal position and is permitted to yield upwardly within limits sufiiciently restricted to prevent its being, accidentally thrown over backward out of engagement with the lever 9. Such upward movement of the pivoted arm is limited by abutment of fixed pin 27 with the left-hand end of slot 26.

The bell crank lever is fixed upon a rock shaft 28 angularly bent or ofiset to form. a crank arm 29 on which is mounted the rod 30 attached to the bell .(not shown) and operated thereby. In this form of construction, the downward movement of the bell, causes the arm 22 to push the lever 9 out of the vertical and as the roll 21 rides oil the end and releases the lever, the latter oscillates as in the former case and causes the vane wheel to rotate to elfect a feeding of the carbid. I

Itwill thus be seen that bymy improved carbid feed, a regular and steady generation of gas is assured, a run of the carbid and the consequent generation of an a ratchet wheel rotating with the vane wheel, a weighted lever pivoted to oscillate about the axle of the ratchet wheel, a pawl carried by the lever and acting on the ratchet, and a trip connection between the lever and gasometer bell to carry the weighted arm of the lever to one side of its centerof gravity and there release the same whereby to cause the lever to oscillate and to rotate the ratchet and vane wheel step by step. r I

2. .A carbid feed for acetylene gas generators comprising, in combination, with the carbid chute, an undershot vane wheel mounted in the mouth of the chute, a ratchet wheel rotating with the vane wheel, a weighted lever pivoted to oscillate about the axle of the ratchet wheel, a pawl carried by the. lever and acting on the ratchet, and a trip connection between the lever and the gasometer bell arranged during a sustained downward movement of the bell'to repeatedly carry the weighted arm of the V i lever to one side of its center of gravity and there release the same whereby to cause repeated oscillations of the lever and a step by step rotation of the vane wheel at intervals to efiect a repetition feed.

3. A carbid feed for acetylene gas generators comprising, in combination, with the carbid chute, an undershot vane wheel mounted to rotate in the mouth of the chute, a ratchet wheel rotating with the vane wheel, a weighted lever pivoted to oscillate about the axle of the ratchet wheel, a pawl carried by the lever acting on the ratchet, a trip carried by the weighted lever, means to lock the trip to the lever against movement in one direction and to permit movement in the opposite direction, an operating rod attached to the gasometer bell and arranged to engage the trip in the downward movement of the bell to carry the weighted arm of the lever to one side of its center of gravity and there release the same whereby to cause the lever to oscillate and to rotate the vane wheel step by step.

4. A carbid feed for acetylene gas generators comprising, in combination, with the carbid chute, an undershot vane wheel mounted to rotate in the mouth of the chute, a ratchet wheel rotating with the vane wheel, a weighted lever pivoted to oscillate about the axle of the ratchet wheel, a pawl carried by the lever and acting on the ratchet, a trip carried by the lever, means to lock the trip and lever against relative movement in one direction and to permit limited movement in the other direction, an operating rod attached to the gasometer bell and having a lower portion bifurcated and a roll mounted within the fork of the rod, the trip arranged within the fork of the rod beneath the roll, whereby the downward movement of the rod will carry the weighted arm of the lever to one side of its center of gravity and there release the same to cause the lever to oscillate and the vane wheel to rotate step by step.

5. A carbid feed for acetylene gas generators comprising, in combination, with the cal-bid chute, a vanewheel mounted to rotate in the mouth of the chute in a plane parallel to the axis thereof, a ratchet wheel rotating with the vane wheel, a weighted lever pivoted to oscillate about the axle of the ratchet wheel, a pawl carried by the lever and acting upon the ratchet, a substantially horizontal arm secured to the upper end of the lever, a trip pivoted on the arm and projecting beyond the end thereof, a stop to support the trip substantially in line with the arm, a second stop arranged to limit the upward swing of the trip, a vertical operating rod attached to the bell and bifurcated in its lower portion, and rolls mounted at intervals between the forks of the rod, the overhanging end of the trip arranged within the fork of the rod beneath the lower roll wherebyv the downward movement of the bell and rod will carry the weighted arm of the lever to one side of its center of gravity and there release the same to cause the lever to oscillate to and fro and rotate the vane Wheel forwardly step by step.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my hand this 16th day of January, 1912.

JAMES H. BIRCH.

Witnesses:

AUGUST J. OLsoN, OSCAR NELSON.

copies of thit patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner or Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

